@article{3456,
author = "Shaswat Yadav and Sourabh Jhariya and Ruchika Gupta",
abstract = "Mechanization in agriculture holds a significant role with its potential to increase crop productivity, reduce cost of cultivation and improve efficiency of the farming operations. However, the adoption of mechanization in different states in India has been uneven and faces several challenges. The research paper aims to explore the status of mechanization in Indian agriculture. Mechanization Index has been developed to measure the crop-wise and operation-wise level of mechanization and patterns across regions. The research findings show that the northern states Punjab and Haryana and the southern states Telangana and Andhra Pradesh more mechanized, while Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, and Odisha exhibiting low levels of mechanization. Wheat and gram crops display the highest mechanization index, indicating a higher degree of automation in their cultivation processes. Taking a bird's eye view of the operation-wise mechanization pattern, the mechanization index shows that irrigation and field preparation operations are generally highly mechanized. However, harvesting operations requires both machine and human labour. Meanwhile, plant protection and sowing/planting operations are predominantly carried out manually. Moreover, investment more on machine cost doesn’t relate with more value generation, rather investing more on machine hour shows positive correlation with value generation. Results reveal that large farmers have a high Mechanization Index as compared to the small and medium farmers. Assets like owned and hired agriculture machinery also had a significant effect. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for addressing these challenges and promoting sustainable and inclusive mechanization in the Indian agriculture sector.",
issn = "23191473",
journal = "IJAIR",
keywords = "Mechanization Index;Cost of Cultivation;Farm Operations;Machine Hours;Data Analysis",
month = "July",
number = "1",
pages = "52-60",
title = "{M}echanization in {I}ndian {A}griculture: {A} {F}ield {L}evel {I}nvestigation",
volume = "12",
year = "2023",
}